Generally speaking, I’m very anti-sequel. Follow-ups to beloved movies or TV shows are never as good as the original, no matter how hard they try to recapture the initial magic or play on our collective obsession with nostalgia. However, “Hocus Pocus 2” was actually a pretty solid release in 2022, and it did so well for Disney that the network is now working on “Hocus Pocus 3.”
Part of what worked so well for the sequel was that the original Sanderson Sisters — Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy — all returned to reprise their roles. We’re here for that. Do not recast classic roles and expect me (or anyone else) to be on board. And sticking with the formula that made the first movie so successful back in the ‘90s made the second installment a lot of fun to watch.
The New York Times revealed in an interview with Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, that execs at the company were impressed with the performance of “Hocus Pocus 2” and were keen to keep a good thing going.
While no one involved with “Hocus Pocus” has commented specifically on a third movie, EW asked them about such a possibility fairly recently, and they all seemed game.
“After 30 years with no sequel to Hocus Pocus, I’ve always been envious of people who get to do their favorite character more than once. The fact that we got to do this finally, after 30 years of promoting the idea, I’m glad we got to do it,” Midler said. “I’d love to have a franchise — especially a character I love playing,” Midler said at the time. “If there was a third one, of course I’d sign on, but I don’t know how. I can’t imagine what the story would be, but I love Winifred, Sarah, Mary, and our relationship. It’s good for women. We stick together through hell and high water, but we do cause mayhem, and not many women cause that much mayhem!”
Parker added: “Kathy had a good idea that the third one should be animated. That would be cool and a smart idea. It’s fun, funny, and could be interesting and innovative, like old-fashioned or new [animation]…. Of course I’d be happy to have a conversation [for a third film], it just depends on what Kathy and Bette want!”
